For Consumers

There are many reasons for choosing organic products. Research is showing that organic produce is more nutrient-dense. But, most people choose organic to avoid the toxins found in non-organic food. They also value organic farmers’ environmental stewardship. Organic farming practices build up the soil and protect the quality of our air and water.

Think beyond the plate to see all benefits of organic foodOrganic Broadcaster

Are organic foods more nutritious than non-organic? Are they healthier or safer? As a dietitian, I’m often asked these questions and I answer with a resounding “yes!” Here’s why. Read more.

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Consumer Reports found lower levels of bacteria overall in sustainably raised beef compared with conventionally raised beef. The presence of “superbugs,” antibiotic-resistant bacteria, was 6 percent in grass-fed beef and 18 percent in the conventional beef. The full report includes a section on labels that indicate the meat has been raised using verified standards. These include Certified Organic, Animal Welfare Approved, and PCO Certified 100% Grassfed. The report cautions against meaningless labels such as “Natural” or “Humanely Raised,” which have no independent verification or certification process. Download the full report here.

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In its May 2015 magazine, Consumer Reports offers guidance on choosing produce that is the best for health and the environment. The guide lists five fruits and five vegetables to always buy organic: peaches, tangerines, nectarines, strawberries, and cranberries; and green beans, sweet bell peppers, hot peppers, sweet potatoes, and carrots. Many other fruits and vegetables have high risk warnings tied to country of origin. Download the risk guide here.

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A study published in the July 2014 British Journal of Nutrition reveals that organic crops have higher levels of antioxidants. British researchers conducted meta-analyses based on 343 peer-reviewed publications. They also found that organic crops have lower levels of toxic metals and pesticide residues.

Consumer’s Guide to Organic Food

MOSES partnered with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection to create the information card below, plus a 20-page Consumer’s Guide, a bookmark and magnet to educate consumers about organic choices.Download these FREE items.

Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce

The Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce™ will help you determine which fruits and vegetables have the most pesticide residues and are the most important to buy organic. You can lower your pesticide intake by avoiding the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables and choosing the least contaminated produce. This information is provided by the Environmental Working Group (EWG).

*To read more about these disruptors, where they are found and how to avoid them, see EWG’s website.

Films

These films provide more information about farming and issues with our food system.

Dirt!Bill Benenson and Gene RosowInspired by William Bryant Logan’s acclaimed book Dirt: The Ecstatic Skin of the Earth, Dirt! The Movie takes a humorous and substantial look into the history and current state of the living organic matter that we come from and will later return to.

FarmageddonKristin CantyFarmageddon tells the story of small, family farms that were providing safe, healthy foods to their communities and were forced to stop, sometimes through violent action, by agents of misguided government bureaucracies, and seeks to figure out why.

Fed UpStephanie SoechtigEverything we’ve been told about food and exercise for the past 30 years is dead wrong. FED UP is the film the food industry doesn’t want you to see.

FOOD CHAINSEva Longoria, Eric Schlosser, Sanjay RawalFood Chains reveals the human cost in our food supply and the complicity of large buyers of produce like fast food and supermarkets. In this exposé, an intrepid group of Florida farmworkers battle to defeat the $4 trillion global supermarket industry through their ingenious Fair Food program, which partners with growers and retailers to improve working conditions for farm laborers in the United States.

Food, Inc.Robert KennerIn Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation’s food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government’s regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA.

GMO OMGJeremy Seifert
How do GMOs affect our children, the health of our planet, and our freedom of choice? And perhaps the ultimate question, which Seifert tests himself: is it even possible to reject the food system currently in place, or have we lost something we can’t gain back?

Grow!Christine Anthony and Owen Masterson
GROW! takes a look at this new generation of sustainable farmers through the eyes, hearts and minds of 20 passionate, idealistic and fiercely independent young growers. In the film they speak of both the joys and the challenges involved in tending the land.

King CornIan Cheney, Curt Ellis and Aaron WoolfKing Corn is a feature documentary about two friends, one acre of corn, and the subsidized crop that drives our fast-food nation. In the film, Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis, best friends from college on the east coast, move to the heartland to learn where their food comes from. But when they try to follow their pile of corn into the food system, what they find raises troubling questions about how we eat—and how we farm.

Queen of the SunJon Betz and Taggart Siegel
What Are the Bees Telling Us? is a profound, alternative look at the global bee crisis from award-winning filmmaker Taggart Siegel. Taking us on a journey through the catastrophic disappearance of bees and the mysterious world of the beehive, this engaging and ultimately uplifting film weaves an unusual and dramatic story of the heartfelt struggles of beekeepers, scientists and philosophers from around the world.

Symphony of the SoilDebra Koons Garcia
Drawing from ancient knowledge and cutting edge science, Symphony of the Soil is an artistic exploration of the miraculous substance soil. By understanding the elaborate relationships and mutuality between soil, water, the atmosphere, plants and animals, we come to appreciate the complex and dynamic nature of this precious resource.

Terra FirmaChristine Anthony and Owen MastersonSince 2001 over 280,000 women have been sent to the Middle East to serve in the War on Terror. Terra Firma weaves together the stories of three women veterans who were among the first to deploy, serving in Afghanistan, Kuwait and Iraq. After years of struggling, each has found ways to heal the hidden wounds of war through farming. The film follows the women as they go about their daily lives, reflecting on their time spent in the military, the impact of war on their lives and their newfound peace of mind, finding that farming gives them purpose and a new way to serve their country by growing food for their communities.

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Mission: MOSES educates, inspires, and empowers farmers to thrive in a sustainable, organic system of agriculture.
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